 I feel like it is important to state from the get-go that I'm writing this while my twelve-month-old shrieks at me. She's in that lovely stage where screaming is her only form of communication. All week long I've been planning to write a blog post on how to up your word count during Nanowrimo, but as I sped down the freeway after dropping a violin off for one kid, then hitting the Girl Scout store for another in need of a uniform, I thought to myself:
"Dante, you have one hour at home in which time you should TOTALLY be able to fold a load of laundry, feed two kids, and get a blog post in. After all, it's Tuesday and your husband is going to want to watch that last episode of Stranger Things- so there's no way you're going to be able to write tonight." This is my every day existence, and I'm one of the fortunate stay-at-home mom writers. So in true last-minute fashion, I'm penning this between activities, changed up with NO research whatsoever. My research this week went to upping your word count, which is what I WAS going to write on. Thanks to my highway inspiration though- this week you are getting a post on WROMMING. BUT DANTE, WHAT IS WROMMING? I'm so glad you asked. Wromming is the art of Momming and Writing at the same time. Because as a mom, your work is never done. You can't shut off the momming or clock out. The work hours never end, and even if you put your last baby down to bed for the night, there's always a chance they will call you in for overtime. But when you're trying to write 50,000 words in a month to participate in Nanowrimo, you can see how hard that is. So I've comprised a few tips/hints for those moms out there eager to participate in Nanowrimo, but perhaps aren't sure how they can accomplish this when they have a kid (or three). FIRST, NEGLECT THOSE KIDS Okay, I'm mostly kidding here. Yes, your children need to eat, and diapers need to be changed, but there are certain ways that you can coast for an hour or two a day. My kids don't watch much tv, if any, TV, but they love playing outside. Distractions can be found with self-imposed "Quiet time" for those that aren't yet in school. My favorite is setting up an "art project" of stickers and paper and letting those little monsters go nuts. Friday nights, we do a movie night. The girls settle into bed for a movie and I hit the word-doc in order to get my goal for the day. Bedtimes, Snack-times, SCHOOL. BABYSITTERS! Seriously, there's no shame in getting a sitter for an hour so you can go to the coffee shop and edit or write. It takes me about an hour to get a thousand awful written words. So if I have an hour and a half (often times broken up over the day) I can make my daily goal to get 50,000 by the end of the month. This cycle though, I'm participating in Scrivathon (More info below), so there will be a whole day where I've scheduled a babysitter so that I can have the freedom to write my little heart out for the whole dang day. Yes, that's right. You read that correctly. I got a babysitter to participate in a virtual write-in because I'll be able to bump that word count up AND help with Syrian Relief. Feel free to call in favors, beg, promise first-readership or your first born (especially if you have extras). SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK Then there's the option to stay up in the night hours, but if you're like me this always ends up being at the sacrifice at your time with your husband. Mine likes to hang out and relax with me at the end of the day, so I wait until he's at work or out doing other things instead. Then those late night tv-binging hours turn to type-fests where I hit the keyboard and don't stop until I'm drooling on the space key. EARLY MORNING HOURS Admittedly, my jam. I love those hours before anyone wakes up, and it used to be the time got my writing out for the day, just before I hit the gym. Then, because my kids hate me, they started getting up around 6:00am, I'd have to wake up at 4:00am to get my word count in. Not happening. IN CONCLUSION, COMMIT. It's one month. ONE single month where you may get a little less sleep, your kids may be a little more restless, and your husband may feel like you've neglected his ability to binge-watch Narcos without cheating. Load up on the coffee, the chocolate, the noise-cancelling headphones, and then force those words out of you like you force your kiddos to do their chores. You have a book in you and it's due in November! A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SCRIVATHON Scrivathon is a 24 hour word-sprint in accordance with Syrian Relief. Our goal, write until we can't write anymore while raising money to help those that need it. If you are interested in donating or participating, please visit A.Y. Cho's website for more information. https://aychao.com/scrivathon/ ALSO: Check out these other participants in the Scrivathon: A.Y. Chao || Gurpreet Sihat || Hoda Agharazi || Deborah Crossland Maroulis || Morgan Hazelwood || Dante Medema || Miranda Burski || Maria Guglielmo || K.J. Harrowick || Rochelle Karina || Adele Buck
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